How Can I Correct My Gut Health?

A doctor's advice on improving your microbiome

Adam Rosenbluth, M.D.,

AARP

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Published December 02, 2024

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How can I improve my gut health?

As I always tell my patients, “Aging is combination of inflammation and isolation." Our gut’s health encompasses both of these issues. When your gut is experiencing inflammation, it means that the different microorganisms living in your digestive tract — also known as your microbiome — are not in balance. This can trigger issues like diarrhea, constipation and bloating.

In turn, if you’re hesitant to go out and socialize because you’re afraid you’ll end up in a lot of discomfort or constantly running to the bathroom, then your gut problems will lead to isolation. This is why it’s so important to maintain good gut health.

Let’s look at how you can do it.

You know the old saying, “You are what you eat”? Although many of us are paying attention to our diets, in general, our population is eating more processed foods. These kinds of foods are complicated for our gut to digest. Processed foods are low in fiber, high in sugar, and contain lots of preservatives, artificial colors and sweeteners. If you’re eating a lot of processed foods, chances are your microbiome is off-balance.

A few years ago, I read a study that made a strong connection between processed foods and gut inflammation. Research has proven that when our diets are high in processed foods, we’re at risk for chronic diseases, including diabetes, obesity and cardiovascular conditions. Newer research has found gut bacteria is connected to both memory and mental health.

You want to eat a well-balanced diet that includes fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes and nuts. These foods are high in fiber, which is particularly important for healthy gut bacteria. It’s what keeps your bowels regular. In my experience, people tend to get more constipated as they age. That’s why if you go to the grocery store or pharmacy, you’ll see aisles of products devoted to keeping our bowels regulated.

Another way to balance your microbiome is by eating and drinking fermented foods such as sauerkraut, kimchi, tempeh, miso, pickles and apple cider vinegar. You might be surprised to learn that foods like cottage cheese and yogurt are made from milk that’s fermented.

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I also recommend cooking at home so you can control what you’re eating and how it’s prepared. Your gut is an amazingly adaptive organ that does its best to compensate for changes in your environment, but it prefers a normal routine.

Antibiotics are another way our microbiome gets disrupted, because they may change the balance of normal flora in our intestines. You can try to compensate by taking probiotics. Believe it or not, your doctor can prescribe newer antibiotics to re-establish the normal balance of bacteria in the gut.

It's also really important to drink enough liquids. Many of my older patients are hesitant because they end up peeing a lot, but it’s worth the inconvenience. Water is the lubricant for digestion. It helps break down food, softens stool, allows for proper absorption of nutrients, aids waste to move through your digestive tract, and keeps your microbiome in balance. The National Academy of Medicine recommends a daily intake of liquids of around 13 cups for men and nine for women.

Along with drinking enough liquids, chewing is another way get the nutrients out of your food. Try to eat slowly and chew a lot with each bite.

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Finally, and importantly, let’s look at stress. Your gut and your brain are so closely connected that they send signals to each other through a network of neurons. That’s why stress is directly related to how your bowel behaves. Our emotions can slow or speed up digestion, which leads to diarrhea or constipation. Stress and anxiety can also cause bloating, nausea and muscle spasms or cramping. When a patient tells me it feels like their bowels have changed, my first question is, “What’s going on in your life?” Life experiences such as divorce, grief, moving and work anxiety can have a direct impact on your digestive system.

For all these reasons, your gut is intimately involved with how you feel emotionally and physically. Let’s give this big organ all the love, attention and care it deserves. When it’s in balance, we are too.